An Orphan's Revenge
by akagami-shirayuki
Summary: Alice never thought that her birthday would tear her heart apart. When the akuma appear at her orphanage, she can only helplessly watch everyone she loves die around her. In her anguish, Alice joins the Black Order. With horrors all around her, she never imagined that the world still had one more tragedy in store for her. One who went by the name, Lavi Bookman Jr. (Lavi/OC)
1. Chapter 1

I'm picking up Alice's story again~~

I'm changing it a bit though, since I can't remember exactly what I had planned for it the first time. Also, this is starting before the events of the manga occur, so no Allen or Noah Family for the time being…

Dedicated to carebear969 because she requested it 3

Disclaimer: I don't own D. Gray-Man

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Chapter 1

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Grandmother Beatrice would always describe herself as content. She had a fiery spirit that loved children, and she scrapped together just enough money to open an orphanage when she was twenty-seven. Now at the age of fifty-two, Beatrice happily ran an orphanage famous for always pairing up adopted children with the right parents. She always had children that never wanted to leave though; they loved her so dearly.

It was such a lovely morning today, and Beatrice knew that the children would want to get out into the warm sun. It was fairly early for the sleeping children, but Beatrice knew that they would hound her to take them outside later. She quietly woke up all twenty-three children, putting on clothing and tying the laces on their shoes. The older ones (the ones that had been in the orphanage longer than the rest) helped get the newer children ready. They knew what Grandmother Beatrice wanted to give them. The children that were ready were led to the lobby to wait for everyone. Beatrice had just finished tying up the laces of a yawning boy when she felt someone tap her shoulder.

"Granny? Fanny isn't waking up."

Beatrice urged the sleepy boy to meet up with his friends in the lobby. She stood up and faced her current oldest child, a young girl. Beatrice gave her a kind smile.

"I'll wake her up. In the meantime, dear, could you please get her shoes?"

"Yes, Granny!" the girl beamed, her golden brown hair swinging as she ran off to fetch Fanny's shoes.

Beatrice approached the sleeping Fanny, a little girl of six with red curls. She gently shook her awake, coaxing her to sit up. She hiccupped and rubbed her eyes tiredly.

"Granny, I found Fanny's shoes!"

"Thank you, Alice," Beatrice smiled as she pulled Fanny's dress on. "Could you tie them for her, please?"

"Yes, Granny," Alice replied, quickly going to work with her slender fingers.

Beatrice left the room and walked to the lobby, where the children had began to clear their minds. Excitement buzzed throughout the room; they knew where they were going.

"Granny, can we go now?"

"I want to go play!"

"I want to go outside with Granny!"

Grandmother Beatrice chuckled at the children's eagerness. Soon enough, Alice reappeared with Fanny in tow. Beatrice opened the door and led the cheering children outside. Fanny ran ahead too, stopping when she reached Grandmother Beatrice. Beatrice knelt down and listened to Fanny whisper into her ear. She smiled and stood up, ushering Fanny outside to play with the other children.

"What did she say?" Alice asked, once the two had sat on the bench against the orphanage.

"She says that she's sorry for causing you trouble," Beatrice replied. "And that she likes your eyes."

"Really?" Alice asked, her face lighting up. "I've been trying so hard to get her to talk recently."

"Fanny's a shy girl," Beatrice said. "She takes a while to warm up to people. She's only been here for a few weeks, you know."

"I know," Alice grinned. She fidgeted with her long hair for a bit. "Did…did she say anything else? About me, that is…"

"She says that your eyes are the color of jewelry," Beatrice smiled wistfully. She turned to Alice and winked. "You should get her a pin sometime. She loves gold."

Alice blushed in embarrassment. "My eyes aren't anything special… Yours are, Granny. You're the one who takes care of us."

Beatrice patted Alice's head gently.

"I'm not that special. I'm just an old lady," Beatrice replied.

A comfortable silence settled over them. Beatrice and Alice watched the children play in the front yard, running around and screaming. Alice watched people pass by the orphanage, seeing small smiles appear as they watched the happy children. She noticed a woman walk by with intricate braids in her hair, wrapped up into a bun. Alice looked at her own hair. She always left it down, but that lady looked really nice. Maybe she should try it?

Beatrice noticed Alice staring at a passing woman. The moment Alice started playing with her hair again, Beatrice knew what she was trying to do. Alice struggled for a while before giving up on the hairstyle.

"Would you like me to braid it for you?" she asked. Alice blushed and nodded.

When Beatrice began to stand up, Alice exclaimed, "Oh no, Granny! You don't need to stand up. I'll just sit on the ground."

"But you'll get your dress dirty," Beatrice protested. She wasn't that old!

"It's okay, Granny," Alice assured her. "It's nothing that a bit of soap and water can't fix! Besides, you bought me another one for my birthday last year, remember?"

Beatrice protested no more as Alice moved and sat down on the ground. Beatrice went to work quickly with Alice's long hair. It only took a few minutes until Beatrice pinned the braid into a bun. Alice beamed at her and thanked Beatrice with a hug. Beatrice smiled.

"It's the least I could do for the birthday girl," Beatrice chuckled. "You're fifteen now, aren't you?"

Alice was about to reply when she felt someone tug on the hem of her dress.

"Alice!" Fanny cried. "Show me that card trick you always do!"

"But the cards are inside the house, Fanny," Alice replied, watching the younger girl continue to tug at the bottom of her dress.

"But I want to see it _now_!" Fanny whined.

"All right," Alice grinned. Fanny cheered. "But then you have to go play with the other boys and girls, okay?"

"Okay!" Fanny replied eagerly.

Alice laughed before going into the orphanage to find a deck of cards. She ran to her room, knowing that Fanny would soon lose her patience. She searched the drawers and desk until she found an old, beat up deck of cards. Grandmother Beatrice had given it to her on her tenth birthday. Anything from Grandmother Beatrice was treasured. Alice also liked the green crosses that adorned the backs of each card. They were a beautiful design. She was about to the leave the room when she noticed her reflection in the mirror. Her golden brown hair was braided beautifully up into a bun. She smiled as she looked at her eyes; they really did look like gold. Her dress already had grass stains on them, and her boots were extremely worn in.

Alice noticed a bandana on her drawers slipping off behind her. She turned around to grab it when she first felt the ground shake. She snatched the black cloth off the drawers and dropped to the floor. Thunderous booms sounded throughout the building, terrifying Alice. What was going on? It wasn't until she heard screaming that she remembered the children.

Alice sprinted out of her room, dodging a falling lamp as she did. She could smell smoke filtering through the windows, and she tried to run faster. She had nearly made it to the door when it was blasted inwards, splintering into pieces. Alice didn't have time to see what had done the damage before she felt a strong arm catch her by the waist, pulling her sharply to the side. She heard whatever it was barrel through walls like they were nothing but paper.

"Are you okay?"

Alice was jolted out of her thoughts. She was so preoccupied with them that she hadn't noticed her savior. The first thing she saw was red hair. _Bright_ red hair. Much brighter than Fanny's.

Oh no, the children.

"Hey," her savior shook her gently. "You okay?"

"Oh!" Alice exclaimed. She looked up into the single green eye this man had. His other eye was covered by an eyepatch. She noticed a strange cross symbol on his jacket. He was using his body to shield her from the flying debris. "Yes. Yes, I'm fine."

"That's good," he grinned. It faltered when a shrill scream echoed in the air. Alice's eyes widened. That wasn't just any scream.

It was Fanny's.

Alice pushed off the strange man and jumped to her feet. She rounded the corner and through the door before she stopped in her tracks. The lawn was completely torn up, and none of the toys that the children had been playing with were still around. What tore her heart the most was the giant ball shaped machine floating in front of her.

The one that was aiming its gun barrels at Fanny.

"Fanny!" Alice cried, taking a step toward her. Fanny turned, her little face filled with fear.

"Ali—!"

BOOM!

Alice froze, tears streaming down her face. Fanny's head was blown off her small body. What was left of it had black stars appearing all over before it exploded into dust, leaving only a tattered dress.

"No!" Alice screamed. "Fanny!"

Alice felt two hands grab her: one covered her mouth and nose while the other lifted her off the ground, preventing her from running to Fanny's ashes.

"You can't!" the man from earlier told her. "That gas is poisonous!"

Alice bit his hand, earning a surprised yelp of pain that gave her a strange satisfaction. She felt her feet touch the ground and prepared to run before she felt a sharp pain on the back of her neck. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw another black coat. Suddenly, her mind seemed to slow, and her vision became fuzzy. She felt her strength leave her, and her whole torso leaned forward. She heard one last thing before slipping into unconsciousness.

"I'm sorry."

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So yes, I am back with D. Gray-Man! :D


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the reviews~ 3

They make me very happy :)

Shout out to carebear969 because she writes awesome fics and deserves more reviews. Check out her latest one, _Borrowed Life_, a Kanda/OC fic!

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Chapter 2

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Dead.

Everyone's dead.

The white walls of the hospital were unfeeling. They were cold and distant. Alice stared up at the ceiling. The red haired man and his partner stood against the walls, silent. Another man in a tan coat sat on top of a large metal box with a phone on it. The room was empty, except for a hospital bed, a small side table, and an unoccupied stool. Both were a light shade of gray. The room perfectly reflected Alice's emotions right now. It'd only been two days since the orphanage was destroyed. In her panic, Alice hadn't noticed a blow she'd gotten to her head, giving her a minor concussion. She slowly turned her head to the side table next to her bed. The only possessions she had left from the orphanage were her bandana, deck of cards, and the clothes she was wearing on that day.

Her birthday…

Alice could feel the tears coming. She forced them back, not wanting to break down in front of strangers. This wasn't the first time she'd done this, and she knew that the other men in the room noticed. The one that had knocked her out wore a long black coat with the same silver cross. His dark hair was even longer than hers, tied up into a tight ponytail. He left the room swiftly. Silence resumed.

Alice had been informed of those creatures that attacked her home. They were akuma, killing machines that were created from souls brought back to life by their loved ones. The man who'd saved her, Lavi Bookman Jr., was an exorcist, one responsible and capable of destroying the akuma. The man with the telephone box was a finder, in charge of finding the akuma for the exorcists to destroy. She'd been questioned multiple times already, but Alice never spoke a word. How could she, when everything had happened so quickly? How could she, when everything she'd ever known disappeared in one fell swoop?

Biting her lip, she fought to hold the tears at bay. She knew she had to let them out eventually but not here. Not with all these strangers. She slowly sat up, pushed herself off the bed, and walked out of the room. Neither of the men moved, knowing that Alice couldn't get far. Alice wandered the empty halls of the hospital, aimlessly walking to nowhere. She looked out the windows as she passed, eventually stopping to look at the town. She tried to find her orphanage, but it had already been cleaned up. It was just a pile of dirt now. Her heart clenched in pain, and her hands curled into tight fists. Everything happened on her birthday.

ON HER BIRTHDAY!

Tears quickly came, and this time Alice didn't try to stop them. Sobs shook her body as she cried for Grandmother Beatrice, for Fanny, and for all of the children. It was all because of those akuma. Those…_things_ killed her family. It's wasn't the exorcists' fault that they couldn't save them. It was the akuma's fault. Gritting her teeth, Alice's tears of sadness turned to tears of hate. Her eyebrows scrunched together in fury. How _dare_ those things take away her family? How _dare_ they murder Grandmother Beatrice, the kindest woman in the world? How _dare_ they attack innocent children? _How dare they?_

A passing nurse wheeled a cart with various pieces of medical equipment, heading to the operation room. She noticed Alice at the window and stopped by her.

"Is everything all right, miss?" she asked.

Alice's eyes widened. She spun on her heel, startling the nurse. She glared at her, knowing that she must've been a frightening sight: her long hair flying up as she turned, her eyes red and angry.

"Is everything _all right_?" she repeated, her voice going into hysterics. _"Is everything all damn right?"_

The nurse's eyes widened and she tried to run away, cart in tow. Alice swiped a few scalpels and bottles off the cart and sent them flying through the window. The nurse ran, abandoning the cart, calling for help as Alice furiously began to turn medical instruments in projectile weapons. She didn't notice the blood from fresh cuts from broken glass running down her arms.

"How can everything be all right?" she screamed, sending more objects through the windows.

She heard footsteps coming toward her, but Alice paid no attention and continued to succumb to her anger. The footsteps were so close by the time Alice had run out of things to throw. She screamed and pounded the intact part of a broken window before two hands grabbed her wrists and pulling them away from the window. Snarling, Alice turned around to see her redheaded savior with a blank expression. She yanked her hands free, shoving him to the ground. Spotting the empty cart, she grabbed the sides and began to pull.

_Is she…trying to throw that thing?_ Lavi thought incredulously. _You've got to be kidding me!_

Scrambling to his feet, her seized her shoulders and turned her around, forcing her to release the cart. He was met with eyes full of fury, pain, and despair. He sighed, watching the girl struggle against his grip. Lavi had seen it too many times; war destroys a person. He knew what this girl needed.

"Cry," he told her, shocking the girl into silence. "Let it all out."

Alice stared at the Bookman in surprise. She had expected him to tell her to calm down. Memories of Grandmother Beatrice and Fanny flooded into her mind, and for the first time since the orphanage was destroyed, Alice cried in front of another person. Her knees gave out and Lavi was the only thing keeping her from hitting the ground as she cried and wailed over the loss of her family, of her old life. Lavi gently lowered her down to the floor, keeping a firm hold on her as she cried. He leaned Alice against the wall, sitting down beside her, allowing her to properly grieve for her loved ones. He said nothing, even as Alice's sobs quieted to sniffling.

Lavi quietly stood up and held out a hand to Alice. She took it, and he pulled her up. Lavi put a hand around her shoulder and guided her back to her hospital room. They didn't speak as they walked. Lavi stopped once to ask a passing nurse for bandages to wrap Alice's hands with. They entered Alice's room, and the finder on the telephone box stood up in surprise. Alice climbed back into the bed, resembling a lost child with puffy eyes and flushed cheeks. Lavi wrapped her hands before letting her sleep; she was exhausted from the emotions of the past two days.

"What happened, sir exorcist?" the finder asked.

"She acted like a child," Lavi replied, not taking his eyes off of her. "It rained."

The finder understood and asked, "How bad?"

"It was pouring."

* * *

"Can you talk now?"

Alice nodded. She was not ready to talk, but she could talk. Lavi moved the stool to her bedside and sat down. Alice played with her long hair, sighing when she noticed the slight wave from the braids was disappearing. Lavi could see the unwillingness to talk and decided to start with basic questions.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Alice."

"Alice what?"

"Just Alice."

_Right, she's an orphan_, Lavi reminded himself.

"Age?"

"Fourteen," Alice replied. Her eyes widened and she held her breath. Right… She turned fifteen two days ago.

"Sorry," she said quietly. "I meant fifteen."

Lavi was surprised by her age; she looked much younger and more vulnerable than fifteen.

Well, he supposed that was what the Millennium Earl did to people.

"Um…what about you?" Alice asked.

"Seventeen," Lavi replied. He could see the faint shock that registered on her face. Obviously, she didn't expect him to be so young.

"You're only two years older than me," Alice trailed off. "And you fight those monsters?"

"Yeah," Lavi replied. "Anyway, back to the questions. "Do you remember anything about those akuma?"

Alice shook her head. She had been inside the house when everything happened. That was why she was alive now…

Lavi continued to question her.

"Did the akuma mention anything about Innocence?"

"I can hardly see why they were looking for innocence," Alice laughed bitterly. "They killed the children. They killed Granny."

"What I'm talking about probably isn't what you have in mind," Lavi explained. "Innocence is a substance that can destroy akuma. It's their only weakness."

"Oh…" Alice replied, embarrassed. "No… I didn't hear anything like that… I was inside the house when they attacked…"

Realization dawned on Lavi. Alice probably hadn't even been spotted by the akuma until Kanda and he arrived. Questioning this girl was pointless. Lavi groaned softly and ran his fingers through his hair. This case wasn't a false lead yet, but it might as well be one. He stood up and stretched, sighing. Alice's heart sank when she realized she wasn't of any use. After all, she was the one who couldn't even save one little girl.

"So…" Alice began. "Who creates the akuma?"

Lavi sighed and took a seat again.

"Well, you see, akuma are—"

"Killers brought back from the dead," a low voice interrupted.

Alice looked past Lavi and saw the exorcist that knocked her out at the orphanage leaning on the door. Immediately, Lavi's whole demeanor changed, surprising Alice.

"Yuu!" he whined, turning to face the man. "I was going to explain that!"

Alice stared at Lavi in bewilderment. Was this still the same man that saved her? She started getting nervous when she saw the dark haired exorcist draw his sword.

"Call me that one more time and I'll kill you," he muttered darkly. Lavi held up his hands in surrender.

"Okay, okay! My bad…" he apologized.

"Um…Yuu?" Alice asked. She instantly started sweating bullets when the exorcist glared at her.

"Kanda."

"Huh?" Alice asked, confused.

"He likes being called by his last name, Kanda," Lavi explained. "Some weird Japanese thing."

"Oh…" Alice trailed off. "Well then, Mr. Kanda, could you explain that to me?"

"The Millennium Earl offers to bring someone back to life. The victim is killed by the newly created akuma, and then the body is taken over by the akuma," Kanda brusquely explained.

"That's how they take human forms," Lavi added.

Alice, who nodded thoughtfully, wondered what kind of power this Millennium Earl has in order to bring the dead back to life.

"And that's why, Alice," Lavi said, looking her straight in the eye. "Don't ever wish for the dead to come back. They won't. Ever."

Alice nodded. She really hadn't thought so much about bringing the children back to life. She already learned that people couldn't come back to life: her parents were killed by an out of control horse carriage when she was young. Thankfully, Grandmother Beatrice took her in and cared for and loved her. She was gone though…

What was she going to do now?

"Lavi," she said slowly. "Can anyone join this Black Order of yours?"

"It's not mine, but yeah," he replied. "You wouldn't be an exorcist though, so you wouldn't be fighting on the front line."

"That's fine," Alice said. With more confidence, she asked, "What can I do to help?"

"You wouldn't happen to be a scientist, would you?" Lavi asked.

"No," she shook her head.

"Are you fast? At running?"

"Yes," Alice replied firmly. All those years of running around the house in the middle of the night to calm crying children weren't for nothing!

"Miss Alice," said the finder in the corner, startling her. He'd been silent all the way until now. Alice turned to look at him. "Can you gather information quickly?"

Alice thought about the orphanage, back when she had to figure out where the children were during hide and seek. Such a large building with twenty-three children to find was no easy task. She remembered the subtle clues she could used to find the children. She could also remember how quickly the children got bored of the game. Maybe it wasn't the same as gathering information about akuma, but it was a start…

"Yes," she finally answered.

"Then I'd say that the Order has gotten another finder," Lavi grinned. "Why don't you come back with us?"

Alice's eyes widened. They were really going to let her go with them? She smiled, realizing that she could help destroy those damned akuma that took away her home. She nodded and said, "As soon as I leave this place, I'm all yours."

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I wasn't really sure when to end this chapter, so I decided to stop here. I'd appreciate any feedback from you guys, and thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

Seriously, thanks for the reviews! I started an OC story knowing that there probably won't be that many people interested in reading it. So I really appreciate all the reviews I'm getting from you guys!

Once again, I recommend any Kanda/OC lovers to read _Borrowed Life_ by carebear969! It's a romance and a mystery—very interesting!

Enough talk, let's get on with the next chapter!

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Chapter 3

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With a soft thump, Alice put a small suitcase on her hospital bed. The finder had been kind enough to buy a suitcase for the few possessions she still had, as well as some toiletries like a toothbrush, a small mirror, and a hair brush. She was all packed, but she wasn't ready to go yet. Lavi, Kanda, and the finder had already left the hospital, waiting for her at the train station. She still had an hour until the train arrived. It took a good twenty minutes to walk there, so she still have forty minutes left over to think about her decision to join the Order.

Alice sighed, wondering if she was doing the right thing. Shouldn't she just move on or something? She shouldn't get involved with the akuma, right?

But they took everyone away.

Alice shook her head. She'd been asking the same questions, going around in circles, since yesterday. She checked the clock hanging on the wall. Thirty-three minutes left. She might as well use the bathroom now; the train ride was at least an hour long. Alice left the room in search of a bathroom. She observed the hallway, stopping when she spotted the windows she'd destroyed yesterday. She turned red, realizing how stupid she had been. She destroyed hospital property with hospital equipment, and the Order was paying to fix the windows. How embarrassing! It wasn't even her first day, and she was already making the Order take the consequences of her actions!

"Miss!" a nurse cried, pulling Alice away from the windows. "Step away from the windows!"

"What were you going to do, miss?" the nurse asked sternly. Alice gaped at her, not knowing how to respond. Suddenly, the nurse's face flushed in realization.

"Oh… You weren't going to do anything?" she asked, not meeting Alice's eyes. Alice shook her head. "I thought…after yesterday…"

Understanding dawned on Alice as she asked, "You're that nurse from yesterday, aren't you?"

The nurse nodded shyly. Alice hadn't gotten a good look at her the day before because of her blinding anger. The nurse had blond hair pulled back into a tight bun. She was fairly young, maybe mid twenties at the latest. Her blue eyes stared down the floor. They were silent for a moment. Alice felt weird, towering over the older woman with her height. After the past two days of feeling small because of being bedridden, she'd forgotten how tall she was.

"Can you show me the bathroom?" Alice finally asked. "Please, Miss…um…"

"Elsa," the nurse replied, smiling. "Of course I can, Alice."

"How did you know my name?" Alice asked, surprised. Elsa laughed, her earlier discomfort gone.

"It's not every day you see a patient throw things through windows."

Alice blushed in embarrassment. She gave a weak chuckle.

"I guess not…"

Elsa laughed again, taking Alice's hand gently this time. She led her to a bathroom down the hall, opening the door for her. As Alice passed the mirror, she noticed how long her hair was getting. It was starting to fall into her eyes too. After she did her business, Alice popped her head out of the bathroom and found that Elsa was still waiting.

"Hey, Elsa," Alice began. "You wouldn't happen to have some scissors on you, would you?"

"Why?" Elsa asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Don't worry," Alice assured her. "I don't want to hurt myself, I just want to cut my hair."

"Really?" Elsa asked, her eyes sparkling. "I can do it for you, if you'd let me."

"That'd be great!" Alice exclaimed. "To be honest, I have no idea how to cut hair."

"No problem!" Elsa beamed. Just give me a minute to get some scissors, and then we'll get to work!"

Alice laughed and nodded, stepping back inside the bathroom. There weren't any stools lying around, so she was going to have to kneel when Elsa came back. She stared at the floor disdainfully; even hospital bathrooms weren't always the cleanest. When Elsa came back with scissors and a stool, Alice thought she was going to cry in happiness. The moment Alice sat down was the moment that Elsa began to work. Elsa, wanting it to be a surprise to Alice, told Alice to close her eyes.

"What kind of hairstyle do you want?" Elsa asked.

Alice was now going to be a finder, so she'd probably be running around a lot… Today also marked the beginning of her new life.

That settled it. A hairstyle that felt light and looked totally different.

"How fast can you do it?" Alice asked.

"Depends. What do you want?" Elsa replied.

"Something that feels light and looks totally different," Alice said. She nervously added. "It needs to be done within twenty minutes."

Elsa gave a low whistle.

"That's a lot to ask of me, Alice."

"I know," Alice winced. She knew it was pretty much impossible to do so quickly, so she was surprised at Elsa's response.

"I'll do it! I'm always up for a challenge!"

Exactly nineteen minutes and twelve seconds later, Alice was staring at her new haircut. Elsa grinned proudly as Alice looked at the bathroom mirror in awe. Her golden brown hair was styled into smooth layers that went a little past her shoulders. Her hair was now parted down the left, and the front of her hair framed her face pleasantly. Beaming, she turned around and gave Elsa a hug, thanking her over and over for cutting her hair. Running back to her room, Alice grabbed her suitcase and was about to leave for the train station when her suitcase flew open, its contents spilling out onto the floor.

"Oh no!" Alice exclaimed. She'd completely forgotten that she hadn't locked it yet!

As Alice scrambled to clean everything up, she noticed her black bandana lying on the floor. She picked it up slowly and stared at it. Her hair was lighter already, but it still sometimes got into her face as she was running back to the room. Maybe if she tied it back…

"Alice!" Elsa huffed from the door. She was leaning on the frame for support. "Alice—oh, is that a bandana?"

"Yeah," Alice said with a sad smile. "One of the few things left from home."

"Oh, honey…" Elsa trailed off. A small smile grew on her lips. "Do you want me to tie it for you?"

"Yes!" Alice replied eagerly. "That'd be great!"

Elsa quickly walked over to Alice's side, kneeling as she took the bandana from Alice's hands. As she did, she handed Alice a folder slip of paper. Alice raised an eyebrow, waiting for an explanation.

"My address," Elsa replied, pulling the bandana on Alice's head. "I thought we could exchange letters."

"Oh, Elsa…" Alice trailed off. She wanted to cry with joy; she already made a new friend! Especially after everything that'd happened lately… "I'd love too!"

"Great!" Elsa smiled. She grabbed the mirror from Alice's suitcase and gave it to  
Alice.

"Ta-daa! All done!"

The darkness of the bandana looked better against Alice's hair than she'd originally thought it would. It was far back enough to show hair in the front, but it was tight enough to keep her hair back without falling off.

"Now, you've got a train to catch," Elsa said smiling. "You got twelve minutes."

"Huh?" Alice looked at the clock. She really did only had twelve minutes!

"Ah!" Alice exclaimed. She hurriedly packed up her belongings (making sure to put in her deck of cards), locked her suitcase, and gave Elsa a quick hug.

"I'll be going then! Bye Elsa!" she called, running down the hall, reveling in the light feeling of her new hair.

"Write to me soon!" Elsa called back with a smile.

* * *

"Hurry up!" Kanda shouted at Alice.

"I'm…I'm trying!" Alice huffed out. "Why are we chasing after the train, anyway?"

"Because you were late!" Kanda snapped back angrily.

Alice had arrived at the train station just as the train took off, so the group was currently running after the train from higher ground. Alice could barely keep up with Kanda and Lavi, neither of which had broken a sweat yet. She managed to keep up with the finder, Joseph, thankfully. They had finally caught up to the train, though Alice felt like she was going to pass out any minute.

"What now?" she yelled out, already slipping farther and farther from the group.

"Jump!" Kanda shouted.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Alice shouted in disbelief as Kanda, Lavi and Joseph all landed safely on the train.

"Jump, Alice!" Lavi called. "You'll be fine!"

_What have I gotten myself into?_ Alice thought.

Alice braced herself briefly before pushing off the ground as hard as she could. She could feel herself flying through the air, getting closer to the train.

_That wasn't so bad,_ she thought to herself.

Then she started falling.

"Alice, grab on!"

Alice turned in the direction of the voice in fear and saw something heading her way. She wasn't sure what it was, but she managed to grab onto it before she hit the ground. Alice was hyperventilating, trying to calm down her erratic heart. This was definitely _not_ good for her health. She felt herself being tugged toward the train, and a hand reached out to pull her in. She finally got a good look at what she had been holding, and it was…a hammer? She craned her neck to see who saved her this time. Alice was met with a sheepish smile.

"That was close, huh?" Lavi said. "Sorry about that."

"It's okay," Alice replied. "Thanks for saving me. Again."

"Are you two done yet?" Kanda called from below. "Get in."

Alice and Lavi slid down through a hatch on the top of the train car. As Alice dusted herself off, she heard Lavi's voice next to her ear.

"Nice haircut, by the way," he said. "Is that why you were late?"

Alice nodded, a little uncomfortable at how close Lavi was to her. Lavi grinned and headed to the train car. Her jaw dropped as she got a closer look at the train. She was definitely in the first class car.

"How did we…?" Alice trailed off. "Isn't this first class?"

"Yes, Miss Alice," Joseph replied, "This train is associated with the Black Order."

"That's how we get on for free," Lavi added as he stepped into a room. Alice shook her head, wondering exactly how she'd never heard of the Black Order before. Just how much influence did the Order have? She followed Lavi into the train room, once again on the receiving end of Kanda's wrath.

When they finally reached the Black Order, Alice couldn't believe what she was seeing. Beautiful gothic architecture loomed over her, the black tower's top obscured by clouds. Strange bat-like creatures hovered around them. She reached out to touch one of them when Lavi nudged her gently.

"Those are golems," he explained. "You'll get your own soon. This is actually the front entrance. We usually use a different one, but I figured you'd want to see the tower."

Alice nodded. She was glad that the exorcists took her here; the sight was truly something to behold. She peered at a strange sculpture that appeared to be a large face. The face suddenly came to life, and Alice barely suppressed a startled scream.

"The Gatekeeper will now give you a physical examination," a unfamiliar voice said. Alice looked around in an attempt to find who was speaking but saw no one.

"Oh yeah," Lavi grinned. "That's another reason why we took you through the front entrance."

Alice stood completely still, shocked and a bit scared to see the stone face come to life. Light shot out from its eyes, and she could hear mechanical scanning as the light focused on her.

"She passes!" Gatekeeper announces. Alice sighs in relief. That felt really weird.

"Hey, Lavi," the unknown voice said again. "Does she have Innocence?"

"We don't know," replied Lavi. "But she wants to be a finder."

"A finder, huh? Give her to Johnny first. He'll take it from there."

"Sure."

* * *

Reviews motivate me to keep writing. *hint hint* Seriously though, I enjoy each and review I get from you guys! :)


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